Unemployed to do unpaid work or lose benefits

The unemployed will have to do unpaid full time work or lose their benefits,
in a bid to reduce the amount spent on the jobless.

Under new proposals the long term unemployed are expected to be told they must work for their benefitsPhoto: PA

By Claire Carter

12:33AM BST 27 Sep 2013

Under proposals expected to be announced next week at the Conservative conference, people who have been out of work for a long time will be expected to earn their benefits by working for firms unpaid or in the community.

It has been suggested adopting a new US-style ‘work for the dole’ scheme will help to reduce Britain’s large benefits bill.

It is expected that those who fail to find jobs through the Government’s main back to work scheme - the Work Programme - will have to work for their payments, sources told the Daily Mail.

Iain Duncan Smith, the work and pensions secretary, told the newspaper: “It’s not acceptable for people to expect to live a life on benefits if they’re able to work.”

Sources in the Department for Work and Pensions described the reports as "pure speculation".

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However, they did not deny that the plans are being considered by ministers.

Mr Duncan Smith added: “The welfare state rightly provides a safety net for those out of work. But in return, jobseekers must do everything they can to get into work, that’s only fair.”

A report published by Policy Exchange, a think tank, suggests the Government should pilot the scheme for specific jobseekers, particularly those who fail to find a job through the Work Programme after two years of support.

Policy Exchange also suggested older jobseekers, who have not had a job for six months should be included, as should those under 25 with little or no work experience.

But it warned people with physical and mental health problems should not be forced into work.

A YouGov poll, commissioned by Policy Exchange, suggests the majority of the public would be in favour of the UK adopting a US style system for people to work for their benefits - with 54 per cent compared to 12 per cent supporting the idea of people doing work experience or helping in the community to keep their payments.

A total 67 per cent of those questioned felt unemployed mothers with young children should be excluded from the extra requirement.

But only 25 per cent said those with mental health problems should not be made to work for their benefits.

Ed Holmes, senior economics fellow at Policy Exchange, said the findings of the poll showed the public felt it wasn't the government's responsibility to help people find work.

The Government has already carried out pilot schemes which suggest some claimants would choose losing their benefits over doing unpaid work.

The Department for Work and Pensions said the number of people who have been helped into long term employment through the Work Programme has increased by 37,000 in the three months to June – with 168,000 given support to get a full time job.

Under the Work Programme, providers from the voluntary, private and public sectors are paid according to results to get people into work, with extra incentives to support the hardest to help.

It has been criticised recently for missing every target which the government set for getting people into jobs.